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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24488521">memories</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/indiffrntnewt/pseuds/indiffrntnewt'>indiffrntnewt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>my newtmas oneshots [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, M/M, Newt is a writer, i literally wrote this in the middle of the night send help, idk dude, thomas works at a diner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:21:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,125</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24488521</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/indiffrntnewt/pseuds/indiffrntnewt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>[prompt: you come into my 24hr diner at the oddest times because of your weird job but you keep forgetting that we talk because you’re always sleep deprived] </p><p>a random fluffy newtmas oneshot i wrote at 2am last night</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Newt &amp; Thomas (Maze Runner), Newt/Thomas (Maze Runner)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>my newtmas oneshots [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1309421</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>161</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>unbeta'ed and unedited, have fun</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was 3 a.m. when the tiny bell above the door ran, indicating that a customer had arrived at the diner. Thomas allowed himself to be dramatic about it for three seconds, leaning his forehead against the broom he’d been sweeping the floor with and closing his eyes (a customer at three in the morning? <em> Really? </em>) before turning around with a forced smile on his face. </p><p> </p><p>“Hi, how may I help -”</p><p> </p><p>“Black coffee and a brownie, and make it quick.”</p><p> </p><p>The customer stood at the door, huddled in a long, black coat. If he hadn’t just spoken, Thomas would’ve questioned if he was alive; his face was grumpy and tired and he had dark purple eyebags under his eyes. His skin was so pale it seemed to glow in the harsh light of the diner. All in all, he looked incredibly sleep-deprived -- which probably explained his grumpiness. <em> And was that a British accent? </em></p><p> </p><p>Thomas forced a smile and nodded at the guy, who refused to look at him, hiding behind a mop of thick, blond hair. “Of course. Anything else?”</p><p> </p><p>The customer sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking up at Thomas for the first time. He had incredibly dark eyes and Thomas almost stepped back in surprise at how clear they seemed. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, got any cigarettes?”</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>Thomas hurried to make coffee for the guy, taking out one of the brownies he made that afternoon and placing it in the microwave. Normally, he’d take his time, making sure it was perfect, but since it was the middle of the night, he simply refused to care all that much. The guy probably wouldn’t taste the difference anyway, and it was impossible for him to see what was happening behind the kitchen doors. </p><p> </p><p>He waited approximately a minute before taking it out and placing it on a small square plate, just when the coffee machine beeped on the counter. He walked back out, grabbing a small fork for the blond along the way. The guy sat in a tiny booth, looking out the window. He hadn’t even taken off his coat. </p><p> </p><p>Thomas poured him a cup of coffee and gave it to him with a small smile that the blond didn’t return. </p><p> </p><p>“Here you go,” he said, placing down the plate with the brownie. The guy looked at it. His eyes travelled upward slowly, resting on Thomas’ chest, where his nametag was pinned to his apron. They swept from left to right and then looked into Thomas’ own, still that tired look behind them.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Tommy.”</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>“You owe me one!” Thomas yelled after Brenda when she walked out around ten, on her way to a date (at least, that’s what she told Thomas. You could never be sure with her).</p><p> </p><p>She smirked and flipped him off, sticking out her tongue, before grabbing her coat and rushing out the diner. </p><p> </p><p>He chuckled to himself, getting out a cloth to wipe the countertops. Considering it was already late, he didn’t expect many more customers at this time. There were only a couple of families seated at the small, round tables, chatting happily. </p><p> </p><p>Thomas spent the next hour cleaning as much as possible and ordering Minho and Gally around to serve their customers, until almost everyone had left -- with the exception of a few couples and one big family. </p><p> </p><p>He sat down on the (now) clean floor, taking out his phone and ducking a bit so he wouldn’t be visible from the other side of the counter. Alby was a nice guy, but if he saw Thomas slacking off, he’d definitely get an earful. </p><p> </p><p>Minho and Gally had disappeared in the kitchen, busy with their food. Thomas had given them a few leftovers -- it was already late and they weren’t going to make it to dinner. </p><p> </p><p>“Hello?”</p><p> </p><p>Thomas jumped, banging his head against the counter above him. He got dizzy because of the impact and rubbed his head with his hand, feeling himself tear up. <em> Jesus, who - </em></p><p> </p><p>His eyes widened and he felt his heart drop in shock. A customer. </p><p> </p><p>He ungracefully scrambled to his feet and turned around, furiously blinking away the tears in his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>He was met with brown eyes and a confused but tired smile -- if he hadn’t been dizzy because he hit his head, he would have been now. The guy looked stunning, just like he had that one night, although still incredibly tired. Thomas mentally cursed at himself for making a fool out of himself in front of the blond. </p><p> </p><p>“Hi,” he said, his voice cracking on the word. Thankfully, the guy didn’t mention it. </p><p> </p><p>“Hi, can I have black coffee -”</p><p> </p><p>“And a brownie?” Thomas guessed, feeling himself smile. The blond frowned at him, but nodded. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, how did you -”</p><p> </p><p>He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, taking out his wallet. Thomas couldn’t help but notice his long, slender fingers and he felt his face heat up when the guy looked at him again. </p><p> </p><p>“How much?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh!” Thomas snapped out of it and quickly calculated what he owed in his mind. “Umm, five thirty.”</p><p> </p><p>The blond hummed and handed him some bills and coins. Thomas tried not to smile when their fingers touched -- <em> really, what was wrong with him? </em></p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be right over,” he managed to say and the blond nodded at him, turning around to sit down in the same booth he’d sat in the other night. Thomas allowed himself to stare for three seconds before turning around to prepare his coffee and brownie. </p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>He was a writer. </p><p> </p><p>He’d come over five times this week, always at the oddest times, and he was a writer. </p><p> </p><p>Thomas figured it made sense -- what other jobs would allow their employees to stay up at these crazy times? Of course, Thomas was awake too -- but he had to, after all. Working at a 24hr diner guaranteed that you got given the craziest shifts. </p><p> </p><p>The guy had told him on a particularly quiet Monday night. Thomas had, once again, served him his drink, but this time he decided to stick around his table for a bit. It was a cute guy, after all. </p><p> </p><p>“So why are you up this late?” He said, trying to sound as casual as possible and sincerely hoping he was succeeding. The blond looked up from his mug and shrugged, his face showing nothing but exhaustion.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m always up.”</p><p> </p><p>“That can’t be healthy,” Thomas commented and the blond flashed him a short, tired smile. It warmed Thomas’ insides -- it was a really pretty smile, and Thomas desperately wished to see it more often.</p><p> </p><p>“It probably isn’t, but I get more inspiration when it’s nighttime,” the guy said.</p><p> </p><p>Thomas raised his eyebrow at him. “Inspiration for what?”</p><p> </p><p>He really hoped he wasn’t pushing the exhausted guy, but he’d never been this curious about a stranger before. Thankfully, the blond smiled again and took a sip from his coffee before answering. </p><p> </p><p>“My book.”</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>Thomas wanted to <em> know </em> this guy. Really, really badly. He’d been visiting the diner for over three weeks now, tired and sleep-deprived each time. Thomas always tried to be as kind as possible, making sure his coffee was great and his brownie was fresh and warm, even gently placing his coat over him once when the blond fell asleep in the booth. He was a nice guy, even though he hadn’t spoken much, and <em> very </em>attractive, even though he always looked tired. Thomas often wondered what he was like when he wasn’t tired. How his face would look. How wide his smile would be. How much he would or wouldn’t say. Needless to say, he’d developed a concerningly big crush on the guy. </p><p> </p><p>There was one problem, though -- the guy didn’t know him. Not once did he seem to recognize or remember Thomas, not once did he say anything about having met him before. At first, Thomas thought he was just shy or introverted, but that didn’t seem to match the blond. Then, Minho tried to convince him he just wasn’t that memorable. Eventually, Thomas found out it was because he was sleep-deprived every time they spoke. It was cute, in a way. It at least made Thomas feel better about that one time he embarrassed himself by spilling his coffee all over the counter. </p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>“Black coffee and a brownie?”</p><p> </p><p>The guy’s eyes widened in shock and he threw Thomas a suspicious look. “How do you know that?”</p><p> </p><p>Thomas shrugged. “I’m a mind reader.”</p><p> </p><p>And maybe it was fair to tell him, but Thomas couldn’t deny he loved seeing the blond flustered.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>“What’s your name?”</p><p> </p><p>The blond’s eyebrows furrowed together in a confused frown. “Excuse me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Your name,” Thomas repeated, his heart beating against his chest. The guy eyed him for a moment before chuckling. </p><p> </p><p>“Why do you ask?”</p><p> </p><p>Thomas blushed and shrugged, looking down at the mug he was cleaning. When he looked up, the blond still stood at the counter, his gaze calculating. Then, he smiled.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s Newt.”</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>“You should talk to him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck off, Minho.”</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>It was a Wednesday night, two in the morning, when Newt entered the diner once again. Thomas’ heart skipped a beat and he smiled widely at his new favourite customer. </p><p> </p><p>“Hi there.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do I know you?”</p><p> </p><p>Thomas, taken aback by the sudden question, frowned. “What?”</p><p> </p><p> Newt sighed, running a hand through his hair. “My friend Harriet says I’ve been flirting with someone who works here for the past month, a brunette named Thomas and I can’t remember a bloody thing.”</p><p> </p><p>Thomas stood frozen for a second before straightening up. “Um, yeah, I’m Thomas.” He scraped his throat awkwardly. “And you have been, um, talking to me for the past few weeks.”</p><p> </p><p>Newt’s face was still tired, but his eyes were clear and piercing. “You’re Tommy?”</p><p> </p><p>Thomas nodded, feeling his face warm up. Newt sighed again, visibly frustrated. To his surprise, he sat down at the counter, placing his head in his hands.</p><p> </p><p>“Please explain.”</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>“So…” Newt said, drawing out the word, “I’ve been visiting this diner for I don’t know how long, always order the same thing and never remember because I’m always sleep-deprived?”</p><p> </p><p>“Pretty much, yeah,” Thomas chuckled. “You told me it’s ‘cause of your book.”</p><p> </p><p>He’d taken off his apron, sitting with Newt in his regular booth. Newt was holding another mug of coffee, fingers linked together behind the ear. </p><p> </p><p>“I told you about my book?” Newt asked in disbelief. Thomas nodded. </p><p> </p><p>“Shit,” Newt breathed out. “I don’t usually share stuff like that.”</p><p> </p><p> “That’s what being sleep deprived does to you,” Thomas smiled. Then, he realized something, and he frowned. </p><p> </p><p>“Wait -- aren’t you sleep deprived right now? Won’t that mean you’ll just forget in the morning?”</p><p> </p><p>To his surprise, Newt’s face broke out into a wide grin. “Nope. Just woke up, actually.”</p><p> </p><p>He paused, as if contemplating what to say next. Thomas waited patiently, not breaking eye contact even though it was making him nervous. </p><p> </p><p>“I finished it,” he said softly, so soft that Thomas had to lean forward to hear it. </p><p> </p><p>“Finished it?”</p><p> </p><p>“The book,” Newt explained. still grinning. “Yesterday, I finished the last chapter.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s great!” Thomas exclaimed, ignoring the sudden urge to hug him. Newt only knew about his existence for thirty minutes, after all -- if you didn’t count the past few months, that is. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s amazing, Newt, I’m proud of you.” </p><p> </p><p>“Funny,” Newt said, his grin turning into a soft smile. “I haven’t even told you my name.”</p><p> </p><p>He took a sip from his mug. “Guess that means I really do already know you.”</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>“Newt!”</p><p> </p><p>“Tommy.”</p><p> </p><p>Newt approached the counter with a smile on his face, looking well-rested and happy. As much as Thomas enjoyed seeing the blond all flustered and confused, this was a good look on him. His heart fluttered in his chest.</p><p> </p><p>“So you really do remember me now,” Thomas teased, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the countertop. He’d been worried Newt would still forget about him all night, but thankfully, Newt really had been fully awake during their conversation. Thomas couldn’t help but smile at him.</p><p> </p><p>“How could I forget?” Newt said, sitting down at the counter. “I’d say my order, but I think you know it by now.”</p><p> </p><p>“I certainly do,” Thomas said. He could feel Minho’s eyes on him. “Green tea and a biscuit, isn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hm,” Newt rolled his eyes. “Such a stereotype.”</p><p> </p><p>Thomas smirked and turned around, grabbing a mug for Newt. </p><p> </p><p>“Tommy?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah?” Thomas turned around, the mug still in his hand. Newt looked vulnerable and insecure all of a sudden, biting his lip, his shoulders high. Thomas had to fight the strange urge to walk over and place his hands on his shoulders to comfort him.</p><p> </p><p>“Can you give me your number, too?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading! i don't know if anyone will read this, but i'm currently working on a newtmas book (yes, book, not just oneshots, i know, it's shocking) and at the moment i'm on chapter eleven out of fifteen (maybe sixteen). i don't know when i'll post it, i still have a lot of writing and editing to do, but i'm very excited! in case anyone is curious, here's the prompt:</p><p>Thomas is up for a big promotion within his company WCKD. He’s put everything on hold for it, including his love life, and has been working for this for years. But when an outsider is hired instead, Thomas loses it, focusing all his energy on bringing this newcomer down.</p><p>[or; that one newtmas enemies to lovers fic no one asked for. includes benho and ex!brenderesa]</p></blockquote></div></div>
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